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Ferrari reveals one-off F12 TRS at Sicily cavalcade

Every year Ferrari owners gather from all corners of the globe for the annual Ferrari Cavalcade. This year's edition just wrapped up in Sicily, where over 90 proud owners from 27 different countries brought their prides and joys. Some of the participating supercars were more rare and notable than others - included among them several LaFerraris - but the extravaganza included the reveal of one very unique Prancing Horse.
That would be the new F12 TRS. The one-off creation surfaced just last week, the work of the Ferrari Special Projects division for one very fortunate client. It's based on the F12 Berlinetta, but replaces its coupe bodywork with new roadster sheetmetal that incorporates a glass window to reveal the red cylinder heads from which its inspiration - the 250 Testa Rossa - drew its name and a cowled rear deck. The open cockpit is trimmed in leather, Alcantara and carbon fiber, but ditches the glovebox, air vents, carpeting, audio system and other creature comforts.
Contrary to earlier reports, the F12 TRS does not appear to have a hybrid powertrain, the conventional 6.3-liter V12 producing the same 730 horsepower as the coupe to propel this one-off roadster to 62 in 3.1 seconds and to 124 mph in 8.1 - so as you can see, it hardly needed any help in the first place. Check it out in photos above, and feel free to read more in the press release below.

Ferrari renews partnership with Marlboro [UPDATE]

Formula One and Big Tobacco may have parted ways years ago, but the alliance between Ferrari and Marlboro continues on, apparently as strong as ever. Though neither party has made any official announcement or revealed any details of the arrangement, reports from the motorsport press indicate that the Scuderia and Philip Morris – the tobacco company which owns the Marlboro brand – have signed an extension of their longstanding partnership. Marlboro first arrived in Maranello way back in 1973, ramping up over the years to become its main sponsor by '93. The Italian outfit changed its name to Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro after the tobacco brand parted company with McLaren in '97. After tobacco advertising was ultimately banned in 2006 (at least in Europe), Ferrari was forced to remove the Marlboro branding from its cars, but the name stuck – and so did the logo, in various forms of obscurity and subliminality through 2010. The Marlboro name was dropped from the team's handle in 2011, but that didn't stop the two from renewing their partnership. And now they've reportedly extended again through 2018. Though the deal hardly comes as a surprise (even given the complete lack of discernible public association between the two), we don't doubt that Maurizio Arrivabene – the former Marlboro exec who recently took over the struggling team – had something to do with it. UPDATE: A spokesman for Scuderia Ferrari downplayed the significance of the story, telling Autoblog by correspondence that "the contract is extended through 2018 and details are confidential." UPDATE 2: Philip Morris International responded to our inquiry with the following statement: "Our agreement with Ferrari has been extended beyond 2015, but we are not in a position to provide financial or other details. This partnership provides us with opportunities such as enabling our adult consumers and business partners to experience motor racing through Ferrari factory visits and attending F1 races."

Ferrari launches F14 T and yet another Formula One nose

Ferrari CEO Luca di Montezemolo said of the 2014 Formula One season, "It's time to win." This is the chassis that's meant to do it, and it is also Exhibit C in this wild, function-over-form F1 pre-season: the Ferrari F14 T. The low, trunk-like snout is another imagining of the year's regulations, after the probing proboscides found on the McLaren and in the image of the coming Williams. The public name of the chassis internally called 665 was chosen by Ferrari's social media fans, F14 T referring to the brand, the year and the turbocharged powerplant, not the McDonnell-Douglas F14 Tomcat.
The 60th Ferrari to contest an F1 season, it keeps the pull-rod front and rear suspensions of cars from the last two years but little else. The narrower front wing, having to package and cool the additional power unit equipment, reworking the rear wing and even moving to brake-by-wire has changed every other aspect of the car.
Fernando Alonso is hoping the F14 T will make the fifth time the charm; in his fifth year with the team, he wants to win the championship this year instead of coming in second again, just like Michael Schumacher won his first title with Ferrari after five years with the team. Our guess is that Kimi Räikkönen has no opinion on anything other than winning races and getting paid for it. A press release below offers a number of details, while the high-res gallery above to can help prepare you for what's coming.